May
3
7:30 pm19:30
Jun
12
7:00 pm19:00
READING: 1984
George Orwell’s ‘1984’ is one of the most engrossing, disturbing, and provocative novels ever written. It’s anti-hero, Winston Smith, fights against the tyranny of Big Brother’s oppressive regime, one that obliterates freedom of thought. A chillingly relevant struggle.
This new adaptation will bring Orwell’s vision to life in a fast-paced and imaginative re-telling, offering multiple opportunities for performers and designers to create an innovative production of this unnerving classic.
GENRE: Dystopian literature
Jul
9
to 12 Jul
Little Women inspired by the novel from Louisa May Alcott. Adapted for the stage by Laura Elizabeth
Wednesday 9 July 2025 - Saturday 12 July 2025, 7:45pm
Including a Saturday Matinee, 2pm
A new adaption inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s best-loved novels.
The timeless and timely story of four young women and their journey into adulthood unfolds in Liverpool 1940. The March sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, are determined to live life on their own terms. But growing up means contending with love and loss.
‘Little Women’ is a celebration of family, girlhood and the resistance of women, whether it’s Christmas Eve, 1862 in America or Christmas Eve, 1940 in Liverpool.
Sept
10
to 13 Sept
Hot Flush - The Naughtiest Musical in Town!
WARNING: You may laugh your knickers off!
Meet Myra, Sylvia, Helen and Jessica in this hilarious show.
A successful barrister, specialising in divorce, Myra had always considered herself a together sort of person. That is, until she began to develop the symptoms of you know what…and her rat of a husband left her for a big blonde bimbo from his office.
Jessica’s husband has worked hard and made lots of money and they both enjoy the finer things in life. Her life seemed perfect until her mid-life crisis began but she’s coping with the help of her friends and the vicar. She just wishes that the vicar could explain why when God made man he didn’t try a little harder?
Sylvia has been married to Joe since she was twenty…and has been bored with him since she was twenty-one. She’s now decided that life is for living and she’s making up for lost time.
Helen, a widow, whose only daughter has left for university, is feeling a bit lonely. Helen tries to take one day at a time; it’s just that sometimes, several days attack her at once.
GENRE: Laugh out loud feel good comedy, musical
Oct
1
7:30 pm19:30
AUDITIONS: Harvey
P. Dowd insists on including his friend Harvey in all of his sister Veta’s social gatherings. Trouble is, Harvey is an imaginary six-and-a-half-foot-tall rabbit. To avoid future embarassment for her family—and especially for her daughter, Myrtle Mae—Veta decides to have Elwood committed to a sanitarium. At the sanitarium, a frantic Veta explains to the staff that her years of living with Elwood’s hallucination have caused her to see Harvey also, and so the doctors mistakenly commit her instead of her mild-mannered brother. The truth comes out, however; Veta is freed, and the search is on for Elwood, who eventually arrives at the sanitarium of his own volition, looking for Harvey. But it seems that Elwood and his invisible companion have had a strange influence on more than one of the doctors. Only at the end does Veta realize that maybe Harvey isn’t so bad after all.
Mary Chase received the Pulitzer Prize for this play in 1945. A celebrated success: This play has become one of the most successful and popular plays ever offered to non-professionals.
GENRE: Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy.
Oct
15
to 18 Oct
1984 BY George Orwell. Adapted by Robert Meadows
George Orwell’s ‘1984’ is one the most engrossing, disturbing, and provocative novels ever written. It’s anti-hero, Winston Smith, fights against the tyranny of Big Brother’s oppressive regime, one that obliterates freedom of thought. A chillingly relevant struggle.
This new adaptation will bring Orwell’s vision to life in a fast-paced and imaginative re-telling, offering multiple opportunities for performers and designers to create an innovative production of this unnerving classic.
GENRE: CLASSICAL, THRILLER
Oct
29
7:30 pm19:30
READING: A Life in the Theatre
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Glengarry Glen Ross and Speed-The-Plow, takes us into the lives of two actors: John, young and rising into the first flush of his success; the other Robert, older, anxious, and beginning to wane. In a series of short, spare, and increasingly raw exchanges, we see the estrangement of youth from age and the wider, inevitable and endless cycle of life, in and out of the theatre.
"A comedy about the artifice of acting... It is also about the artifice of living... An evening of pure theatre." - The New York Times
"A comic masterpiece." - New York Daily New
GENRE: Comedy
Oct
29
7:30 pm19:30
Nov
5
7:30 pm19:30
Nov
5
7:30 pm19:30
AUDITIONS: A Life in the Theatre
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Glengarry Glen Ross and Speed-The-Plow, takes us into the lives of two actors: John, young and rising into the first flush of his success; the other Robert, older, anxious, and beginning to wane. In a series of short, spare, and increasingly raw exchanges, we see the estrangement of youth from age and the wider, inevitable and endless cycle of life, in and out of the theatre.
"A comedy about the artifice of acting... It is also about the artifice of living... An evening of pure theatre." - The New York Times
"A comic masterpiece." - New York Daily New
GENRE: Comedy
Nov
26
to 29 Nov
Terry Pratchett's The Hogfather
By Terry Pratchett, adapted for the stage by Stephen Briggs
Wednesday 26 – Saturday 29 November, incl a Saturday matinee
This Holiday Expect the Unexpected
It's the night before Hogswatch. And it's too quiet. Superstition makes things work in the Discworld, and undermining it can have consequences.
It's just not right to find Death creeping down chimneys and trying to say 'Ho Ho Ho...'
It's the last night of the year, the time is turning, and if Susan, gothic governess and Death's granddaughter (sort of), doesn't sort everything out by morning, there won't be a morning. Ever again...
Adapted by Terry Pratchett's long-time collaborator Stephen Briggs, this play text version of Pratchett's bestselling Discworld novel Hogfather wittily and faithfully reimagines the story for the stage.
A hugely entertaining festive treat for newcomers to Terry Pratchett’s Discworld and a delight for existing fans. Suitable for ages 8-108.
GENRE: Fantasy, Festive, Dark Humour
Dec
10
7:30 pm19:30
READING: Underdog: The Other Other Bronte
Charlotte Brontë has a confession about how one sister became an idol, and the other became known as the third sister. You know the one. No, not that one. The other, other one… Anne.
This is not a story about well-behaved women. This is a story about the power of words. It’s about sisters and sisterhood, love and jealousy, support and competition.
Sarah Gordon’s new play is an irreverent retelling of the life and legend of the Brontë sisters, and the story of the sibling power dynamics that shaped their uneven rise to fame.
GENRE: Period
Jan
4
7:30 pm19:30
AUDITIONS: Underdog The Other Other Bronte
Charlotte Brontë has a confession about how one sister became an idol, and the other became known as the third sister. You know the one. No, not that one. The other, other one… Anne.
This is not a story about well-behaved women. This is a story about the power of words. It’s about sisters and sisterhood, love and jealousy, support and competition.
Sarah Gordon’s new play is an irreverent retelling of the life and legend of the Brontë sisters, and the story of the sibling power dynamics that shaped their uneven rise to fame.
GENRE: Period
Jan
23
to 25 Jan
Peter Pan
The infamous tale about a boy who never grows up.
This production will require a short flight to Neverland where our audiences can expect to embark on magic and adventure, battling the notorious Captain Hook and the band of pirates, encountering mermaids, tribes and of course the crocodile. Peter Pan (and maybe Tinkerbell if she fancies it) will take you on a journey which will clash between fantasy and reality, and of course growing up.
This is a youth theatre production.
Performances Friday 23 and Saturday 24 January 2026, 7pm and Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 January 2026, 2pm
Feb
25
to 28 Feb
Harvey by Mary Chase
P. Dowd insists on including his friend Harvey in all of his sister Veta’s social gatherings. Trouble is, Harvey is an imaginary six-and-a-half-foot-tall rabbit. To avoid future embarassment for her family—and especially for her daughter, Myrtle Mae—Veta decides to have Elwood committed to a sanitarium. At the sanitarium, a frantic Veta explains to the staff that her years of living with Elwood’s hallucination have caused her to see Harvey also, and so the doctors mistakenly commit her instead of her mild-mannered brother. The truth comes out, however; Veta is freed, and the search is on for Elwood, who eventually arrives at the sanitarium of his own volition, looking for Harvey. But it seems that Elwood and his invisible companion have had a strange influence on more than one of the doctors. Only at the end does Veta realize that maybe Harvey isn’t so bad after all.
Mary Chase received the Pulitzer Prize for this play in 1945. A celebrated success: This play has become one of the most successful and popular plays ever offered to non-professionals.
GENRE: Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy.
Mar
26
to 28 Mar
A Life in the Theatre by David Mamet
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Glengarry Glen Ross and Speed-The-Plow, takes us into the lives of two actors: John, young and rising into the first flush of his success; the other Robert, older, anxious, and beginning to wane. In a series of short, spare, and increasingly raw exchanges, we see the estrangement of youth from age and the wider, inevitable and endless cycle of life, in and out of the theatre.
"A comedy about the artifice of acting... It is also about the artifice of living... An evening of pure theatre." - The New York Times
"A comic masterpiece." - New York Daily New
GENRE: Comedy
Apr
22
to 25 Apr
Underdog: the other other Bronte
Charlotte Brontë has a confession about how one sister became an idol, and the other became known as the third sister. You know the one. No, not that one. The other, other one… Anne.
This is not a story about well-behaved women. This is a story about the power of words. It’s about sisters and sisterhood, love and jealousy, support and competition.
Sarah Gordon’s new play is an irreverent retelling of the life and legend of the Brontë sisters, and the story of the sibling power dynamics that shaped their uneven rise to fame.
Jun
3
to 6 Jun
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase By Joan Aiken Adapted by Russ Tunney
‘Once upon a time that never was…’
A thrilling adventure set in an alternative history of England, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase tells the story of two brave and determined girls as they fight against ferocious wolves, snowy wastelands and their very evil guardian, Miss Slighcarp. The opening of the Channel Tunnel has led to dangerous wolves roaming Britain, but this is not the only danger that cousins Bonnie and Sylvia, and their friend Simon the Goose-boy, must face as they encounter unforgettable characters and mysterious scheming.
Suitable for all ages.
GENRE: Classic, family
Apr
9
to 12 Apr
The Taxidermist's Daughter written by Kate Mosse
Directed by Yvette Owen
From her own international best-selling Gothic novel. Kate Rosse has adapted the thrilling Gothic story of violence, retribution and justice.
1912. In an isolated house on the Sussex salt marshes, Connie Gifford lives with her father. Robbed of her childhood memories by a mysterious accident, she is haunted by fitful glimpses of her past – whilst her father has become a broken man, taking refuge in the bottle, since the closure of his once-legendary Museum of Avian Taxidermy.
A strange woman has been seen in the graveyard – and a few miles away, two patients have, inexplicably, disappeared from the local asylum. As a major storm hits the coastline, old wounds are about to be opened as one woman, intent on revenge, attempts to liberate another from the horrifying crimes of the past.
Yvette is usually the June director in the Harlequin Season, bringing multi-award nominated and winning productions to our stage which includes, The Crucible, The Ferryman and The Welkin.
Feb
26
to 1 Mar
It's Her Turn Now Adapted by Michael Barfoot based on the original play Out of Order by Ray Cooney
Running: Wednesday 26 February 2025 - Saturday 1 March 2025
Including a 2pm performance on Saturday 1 March 2025
It’s Her Turn Now is a comedy play by Michael J Barfoot, based on the original play Out of Order by Ray Cooney. This adaptation based on the West End farce is about a female MP who gets into a series of hilarious mishaps (A conniving waiter, a suspicious hotel manager, an alert private detective, an angry wife, a furious husband, a bungling secretary, an unconscious nurse, and – let’s not forget – a dead body) while having an affair with a special adviser from the opposition party which puts her career in serious jeopardy.
Feb
19
7:00 pm19:00
AUDITIONS: Little Women
A new adaption inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s best-loved novels. The timeless and timely story of four young women and their journey into adulthood unfolds in Liverpool 1939. This adaptation features accounts and memories from men, women and children who were in Liverpool during World War II.
Liverpool was a key target for German bombers during World War II because it was a vital port and strategic hub for the British was effort. Follow The March sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, growing up on the war front. But growing up means contending with love and loss.
‘Little Women’ is a celebration of family, girlhood and the resistance of women, whether it’s Christmas Eve, 1862 in America or Christmas Eve, 1939 in Liverpool.
The production will be written and directed by our Chair Person, Laura Elizabeth. Laura usually has a winter slot in our season so is looking forward to a warmer theatre. She is the director behind our multi-award nominated and winning productions, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Girls Like That, Hangmen, and The Unreturning. She has written and adapted a number of productions and completed a short writing course at Central School of Speech and Drama.
Feb
12
7:00 pm19:00
PUBLIC READING: Little Women
A new adaption inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s best-loved novels. The timeless and timely story of four young women and their journey into adulthood unfolds in Liverpool 1939. This adaptation features accounts and memories from men, women and children who were in Liverpool during World War II.
Liverpool was a key target for German bombers during World War II because it was a vital port and strategic hub for the British was effort. Follow The March sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, growing up on the war front. But growing up means contending with love and loss.
‘Little Women’ is a celebration of family, girlhood and the resistance of women, whether it’s Christmas Eve, 1862 in America or Christmas Eve, 1939 in Liverpool.
The production will be written and directed by our Chair Person, Laura Elizabeth. Laura usually has a winter slot in our season so is looking forward to a warmer theatre. She is the director behind our multi-award nominated and winning productions, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Girls Like That, Hangmen, and The Unreturning. She has written and adapted a number of productions and completed a short writing course at Central School of Speech and Drama.
Feb
9
9:30 pm21:30
AUDITIONS: 1984
George Orwell’s ‘1984’ is one of the most engrossing, disturbing, and provocative novels ever written. It’s anti-hero, Winston Smith, fights against the tyranny of Big Brother’s oppressive regime, one that obliterates freedom of thought. A chillingly relevant struggle.
This new adaptation will bring Orwell’s vision to life in a fast-paced and imaginative re-telling, offering multiple opportunities for performers and designers to create an innovative production of this unnerving classic.
GENRE: Dystopian literature
Feb
2
6:00 pm18:00
AUDITIONS: Hot Flush
Open Auditions for our September Production, Hot Flush
WARNING: You may laugh your knickers off
Meet Myra, Sylvia, Helen and Jessica in this hilarious show.
A successful barrister, specialising in divorce, Myra had always considered herself a together sort of person. That is, until she began to develop the symptoms of you know what…and her rat of a husband left her for a big blonde bimbo from his office.
Jessica’s husband has worked hard and made lots of money and they both enjoy the finer things in life. Her life seemed perfect until her mid-life crisis began but she’s coping with the help of her friends and the vicar. She just wishes that the vicar could explain why when God made man he didn’t try a little harder?
Sylvia has been married to Joe since she was twenty…and has been bored with him since she was twenty-one. She’s now decided that life is for living and she’s making up for lost time.
Helen, a widow, whose only daughter has left for university, is feeling a bit lonely. Helen tries to take one day at a time; it’s just that sometimes, several days attack her at once.
Jan
24
to 26 Jan
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Step into the Groovy Forest: A 1960s Midsummer Night’s Dream
Get ready to be transported to the swinging sixties with our vibrant and psychedelic rendition of Shakespeare’s classic comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Set against the backdrop of a magical forest, this production blends the free-spirited essence of the 1960s with the timeless tale of love, mischief, and enchantment.
Follow the intertwined lives of four young lovers, a group of amateur actors, and the feuding fairy royalty, Oberon and Titania. As they navigate through a night filled with magical potions and whimsical transformations, expect a kaleidoscope of colorful costumes, groovy music, and far-out dance moves. Will love conquer all, or will the mischievous Puck’s antics lead to more chaos?
Join us for an unforgettable journey where the past meets the fantastical, and Shakespeare’s enchanting world comes alive with the spirit of the 60s. Peace, love, and a little bit of magic await you in this dreamy theatrical experience!
Jan
19
6:00 pm18:00
READING: Hot Flush!
Our play readings give you a taster of a production and a chance to meet the director before attending an audition. It is not compulsory to attend the reading before the audition but we do recommend you do so we can plan the auditions.
WARNING: You may laugh your knickers off
Meet Myra, Sylvia, Helen and Jessica in this hilarious show.
A successful barrister, specialising in divorce, Myra had always considered herself a together sort of person. That is, until she began to develop the symptoms of you know what…and her rat of a husband left her for a big blonde bimbo from his office.
Jessica’s husband has worked hard and made lots of money and they both enjoy the finer things in life. Her life seemed perfect until her mid-life crisis began but she’s coping with the help of her friends and the vicar. She just wishes that the vicar could explain why when God made man he didn’t try a little harder?
Sylvia has been married to Joe since she was twenty…and has been bored with him since she was twenty-one. She’s now decided that life is for living and she’s making up for lost time.
Helen, a widow, whose only daughter has left for university, is feeling a bit lonely. Helen tries to take one day at a time; it’s just that sometimes, several days attack her at once.
Jan
12
7:30 pm19:30
AUDITIONS: The Taxidermist's Daughter
From her own international best-selling Gothic novel. Kate Rosse has adapted the thrilling Gothic story of violence, retribution and justice.
1912. In an isolated house on the Sussex salt marshes, Connie Gifford lives with her father. Robbed of her childhood memories by a mysterious accident, she is haunted by fitful glimpses of her past – whilst her father has become a broken man, taking refuge in the bottle, since the closure of his once-legendary Museum of Avian Taxidermy.
A strange woman has been seen in the graveyard – and a few miles away, two patients have, inexplicably, disappeared from the local asylum. As a major storm hits the coastline, old wounds are about to be opened as one woman, intent on revenge, attempts to liberate another from the horrifying crimes of the past.
Yvette is usually the June director in the Harlequin Season, bringing multi-award nominated and winning productions to our stage which includes, The Crucible, The Ferryman and The Welkin.
Jan
5
7:30 pm19:30
READING: The Taxidermist's Daughter
From her own international best-selling Gothic novel. Kate Rosse has adapted the thrilling Gothic story of violence, retribution and justice.
1912. In an isolated house on the Sussex salt marshes, Connie Gifford lives with her father. Robbed of her childhood memories by a mysterious accident, she is haunted by fitful glimpses of her past – whilst her father has become a broken man, taking refuge in the bottle, since the closure of his once-legendary Museum of Avian Taxidermy.
A strange woman has been seen in the graveyard – and a few miles away, two patients have, inexplicably, disappeared from the local asylum. As a major storm hits the coastline, old wounds are about to be opened as one woman, intent on revenge, attempts to liberate another from the horrifying crimes of the past.
Yvette is usually the June director in the Harlequin Season, bringing multi-award nominated and winning productions to our stage which includes, The Crucible, The Ferryman and The Welkin.
Nov
27
to 1 Dec
Bleak Expectations by Mark Evans
Wednesday 27 November - Saturday 30 November, 7.45pm
Saturday 30 November and Sunday 1 December, 2pm
Christmas time is where Charles Dicken’s Christmas Carol is watched most to get into the SPIRIT of things (see what we did there), whether performed on the stage, an animated film or with Michael Kane and the muppets it’s fair to say it is a Christmas favourite, but we did that a few years ago.
This Christmas we bring you a comedy and Dickens! The comedy that Charles Dicken’s might have written after drinking too much gin…
Follow half-orphan Pip's extraordinary exploits with sisters Pippa and Poppy and best friend Harry Biscuit, as they attempt to escape the calculating clutches of the dastardly Mr Gently Benevolent, defeat the hideous Hardthrasher siblings, and deflect disaster at every turn! Will evil be vanquished by virtue? Can love triumph over hate?
Mark Evans' stage play Bleak Expectations is a hilarious, chaotic caper, featuring dastardly villains, preposterous names, pulse-quickening romances, heart-rending death scenes, and definitely, probably, hopefully a happy ending.
Based on the award-winning BBC Radio 4 series, the play opened at The Watermill Theatre, Newbury, in 2022, directed by Caroline Leslie. It transferred to the Criterion Theatre in London's West End in 2023, where it featured a medley of many well-known actors and comedians including Stephen Fry, Ben Miller, Adjoa Andoh.
Oct
16
to 19 Oct
Ghosts written by Henrick Ibsen in a new version by Richard Eyre
Wednesday 16 October - Saturday 19 October, 7.45pm
Including a 2pm performance on Saturday 19 October, 2pm
Henrick Ibsen is a Norwegian playwright and one of the founders of the Modernist theatre movement. He is one of the most famous and controversial writers of the late nineteen century. His major works include Peer Gynt, A Doll’s House, Hedda Gabler and Ghosts to name a few.
Ibsen’s work is still popular today with new adaptations being brought to audiences. In 2022 Manchester Royal Exchange performed Nora: A Doll’s House by Steff Smith and the National Theatre brought a new adaptation of Hedda Gabler starring Ruth Wilson and Rafe Spall.
Richard Eyre's version of Ibsen's Ghosts is a fresh and vivid depiction of a woman who yearns for emotional and sexual freedom, but who is too timid to achieve it.
Helene Alving has spent her life suspended in an emotional void after the death of her cruel but outwardly charming husband. She is determined to escape the ghosts of her past by telling her son, Oswald, the truth about his father. But on his return from his life as a painter in France, Oswald reveals how he has already inherited the legacy of Alving's dissolute life.
Sept
11
to 14 Sept
Burying Your Brother in the Pavement written by Jack Thorne
Following the success of Jack Thorne’s Afterlife last season we bring you another one of his plays about grief and looking at someone that little bit more closely.
Thorne is a name that keeps coming up in the West End. From the popular long running production Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, to his newly written production When Winston Went to War with the Wireless which ran at the Donmar last year. His most recent production The Motive and the Cue is directed by Sam Mendes starring Mark Gatiss and Johnny Flynn. The Motive and the Cue was featured in cinemas as part of the National Theatre Live. If Thorne’s good enough for the West End he’s good enough for the Harlequins.
Adam Wade will direct this production, assisted by Ed Green and Laura Elizabeth. All three work together with our Youth Theatre and productions in our main season - Silence, The Unreturning and Home, I’m Darling.
Tom's brother Luke is dead. This has upset a lot of people but it hasn't upset Tom. Or, rather, it has upset him, but in ways he can't explain and other people can't understand. You see, Tom and Luke were never friends. In fact, Tom didn't really like Luke at all.
So it's an odd decision - to try and bury Luke in the pavement of the Tunstall Estate where he was killed. But to Tom, it sort of makes sense, in a stupid-weird kind of way. As he sleeps out on the pavement, he comes across planning officials, tramps, undertakers, police officers, sisters, mothers, estate agents, ghosts, pavement elephants, sky dragons and a strange lad called Tight who wants to sell him a Travelcard.
Jul
17
7:30 pm19:30
AUDITIONS: Bleak Expectations by Mark Evans
🎭 OPEN AUDITIONS for BLEAK EXPECTATIONS 🎭
READING: Wednesday 3 July 2024, 7.30pm
AUDITIONS: Wednesday 17 July 2024, 7.30pm
Christmas time is where Charles Dicken’s Christmas Carol is watched most to get into the SPIRIT of things (see what we did there), whether performed on the stage, an animated film or with Michael Kane and the muppets it’s fair to say it is a Christmas favourite, but we did that a few years ago.
This Christmas we bring you a comedy and Dickens! The comedy that Charles Dicken’s might have written after drinking too much gin…
Follow half-orphan Pip's extraordinary exploits with sisters Pippa and Poppy and best friend Harry Biscuit, as they attempt to escape the calculating clutches of the dastardly Mr Gently Benevolent, defeat the hideous Hardthrasher siblings, and deflect disaster at every turn! Will evil be vanquished by virtue? Can love triumph over hate?
Mark Evans' stage play Bleak Expectations is a hilarious, chaotic caper, featuring dastardly villains, preposterous names, pulse-quickening romances, heart-rending death scenes, and definitely, probably, hopefully a happy ending.
Based on the award-winning BBC Radio 4 series, the play opened at The Watermill Theatre, Newbury, in 2022, directed by Caroline Leslie. It transferred to the Criterion Theatre in London's West End in 2023, where it featured a medley of many well-known actors and comedians including Stephen Fry, Ben Miller, Adjoa Andoh.
If you'd like to get involved, come along to the play reading. We guarantee you will be laughing out loud!
Jul
12
to 13 Jul
EDINBURGH FRINGE COMEDY PREVIEW WEEKEND
Each year thousands of performers (and audiences) flock to Edinburgh in August for the infamous Fringe Festival. We have a weekend of comedy lined up of Edinburgh Fringe Previews before they are taken to this years Fringe Festival.
The festival can be an expensive visit so we’ve brought the festival to your local community theatre with a fully stocked bar AND less distance to travel.
TICKETS are £10 for one evening OR £15 for both evenings. A discount will be applied automatically at the checkout once tickets for both evenings have been selected.
Friday 12 July, Martin Mor and Rob Mulholland
Saturday 13 July evening, Michelle Shaugnessy and Freddy Quinne
Doors open at 7pm each evening for an 8pm show.
Martin Mor has over 30 years experience as a professional performer, Martin is one of the UK’s most popular and in-demand comedians.
He has performed at events of all descriptions; from the Hammersmith Apollo to a show for the inmates of an Italian prison. In April 2016 Martin was part of a team that set the world record for the highest altitude comedy show by performing at 5,300m/17,600ft at Mount Everest basecamp.
Very much the comedian’s comedian, Martin has been the support act of choice for; Frankie Boyle, Jack Dee, Lee Evans, Jasper Carrot, Patrick Kielty, Johnny Vegas, Steve Coogan, and once Tina Turner.
Martin has made numerous appearances on radio and television.
As well as devising and performing his own BBC television show, he has written jokes for some of the biggest names in British comedy.
Joining him we welcome back Yorkshire comedian, Rob Mulholland has clocked up a huge amount of gigs all over the UK as well as in Holland & Norway and is now a regular feature in most of the UK’s well known comedy clubs.
Becoming known for his intricately woven, gag-packed stories by adding a touch of the absurd to his askance glance at everyday life, Rob has won a host of awards. In 2016 Rob was a finalist in the prestigious Leicester Mercury Comedian Of The Year, he was named Hilarity Bites Comedian of the Year and Beat The Frog World Series Champion in 2015 and won the Funhouse Comedy Champion of Champions 2014.
Rob has also performed on BBC Radio 4xtra, Yet Another Comedy Podcast’ with Danny Deegan and Tony Jameson, and can be heard regularly on his podcast Rob Mulholland Has An Opinion.
On Saturday evening we welcome Michelle Shaugnessy, originally based in Tornato made a name for herself across North America. She’s had numerous appearances on television and her debut album ‘You Know What You Did’ hit number one on the iTunes comedy charts. Her sophomore album ‘Botoxic’ received a coveted 5 star review from Toronto’s NOW Magazine.
In 2017 she was a finalist in Canada’s ‘Top Comic’ competition and her audition video has gone viral, with 5 million views and climbing.
In 2018 her original scripted pilot was a finalist in ‘Just For Laughs Stand Up and Pitch’ sitcom contest.
Michelle is an accomplished writer and actor with credits that span commercial, variety, scripted and unscripted television. Her acting work has been features on Hulu, Amazon Prime and Netflix.
Newly based in London, Michelle is becoming a fan favourite all over the UK. She appeared in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2022. Her show ‘Be Your Own Daddy’ was directed by Adam Hills. The Scotsman called it a ‘winning debut’.
Our second act for Saturday is comedic powerhouse Freddy Quinn, a regular in performing his shamelessly opinionated, no-holes-barred stand up at the biggest comedy clubs in the country. Known for his frank approach and often brutal punchlines, covering everything from topical news to universal truths.
When starting comedy in the North West of England, Freddy won the Hilarity Bites New At of the Year. Once a professional, he recorded ‘Live from Edinburgh Twenty Fifteen’ for Spotify, the first UK comedy album composed solely of interactions with the crowd.
Freddy’s Amazon Prime comedy special, ‘Quite The Catch’, has over half a million views and his Facebook and YouTube clips have been streamed millions of times.
Jul
3
7:30 pm19:30
Play Reading: Bleak Expectations
🎭 OPEN AUDITIONS for BLEAK EXPECTATIONS 🎭
READING: Wednesday 3 July 2024, 7.30pm
AUDITIONS: Wednesday 10 July 2024, 7.30pm
Christmas time is where Charles Dicken’s Christmas Carol is watched most to get into the SPIRIT of things (see what we did there), whether performed on the stage, an animated film or with Michael Kane and the muppets it’s fair to say it is a Christmas favourite, but we did that a few years ago.
This Christmas we bring you a comedy and Dickens! The comedy that Charles Dicken’s might have written after drinking too much gin…
Follow half-orphan Pip's extraordinary exploits with sisters Pippa and Poppy and best friend Harry Biscuit, as they attempt to escape the calculating clutches of the dastardly Mr Gently Benevolent, defeat the hideous Hardthrasher siblings, and deflect disaster at every turn! Will evil be vanquished by virtue? Can love triumph over hate?
Mark Evans' stage play Bleak Expectations is a hilarious, chaotic caper, featuring dastardly villains, preposterous names, pulse-quickening romances, heart-rending death scenes, and definitely, probably, hopefully a happy ending.
Based on the award-winning BBC Radio 4 series, the play opened at The Watermill Theatre, Newbury, in 2022, directed by Caroline Leslie. It transferred to the Criterion Theatre in London's West End in 2023, where it featured a medley of many well-known actors and comedians including Stephen Fry, Ben Miller, Adjoa Andoh.
If you'd like to get involved, come along to the play reading. We guarantee you will be laughing out loud!
Jun
5
to 8 Jun
Noel Coward's Brief Encounter adapted for the stage by Emma Rice
Your heart dances. The world seems strange and new. You want to laugh and skip and fall forever… You are in love. You are in love with the wrong person. Laura, the respectable suburban wife, and Alec, the idealistic, married doctor, meet in a station buffet, fall passionately in love but are doomed never to find fulfilment.
David Lean's iconic 1945 movie, Brief Encounter, was written by Noel Coward and was based on one of his one-act plays, Still Life, written a decade earlier. Emma Rice, Artistic Director of Kneehigh Theatre Company, has adapted this timeless tale of joy and heartache for the stage, interspersing the romantic action with nine Coward ditties.
May
22
7:00 pm19:00
May
15
to 18 May
Dorian written by Phoebe Eclair-Powell and Owen Horsley Original author Oscar Wilde
Directed by Kell Cowley
Dorian Gray – handsome, hedonistic, narcissistic – sells his soul for eternal beauty. Basil and Henry join him for the ride until it all goes too far, and the hangovers become murderous...
Oscar Wilde's only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was a succès de scandale on its publication in 1891, accused of violating the laws of public morality. It immediately captured the minds of its readers, the spirit of the age, and the soul of a man with nothing to declare but his genius.
This thrilling stage adaptation by Phoebe Eclair-Powell and Owen Horsley follows one man's descent from glorious debauchery to epic self-destruction, intertwined with Wilde's own life story, his tragic persecution, and ultimate imprisonment in Reading Gaol. Its first full production premiered at Reading Rep Theatre in October 2021.
Kell Cowley is a new director to the Harlequin Theatre following the successes of her sell out production Gruesome Playground Injuries at Chester Little Theatre and Caryl Churchill’s Escaped Alone and A Number at Davenham Players.
'Eye-poppingly experimental... an explosion of glamorous and grotesque characters – some Victorian, some contemporary and some pure camp figments of the imagination... a dizzying adventure that always dares to dazzle... so very brave and original'
Apr
24
to 27 Apr
Home, I’m Darling written by Laura Wade
Directed by Ed Green
Every marriage needs a little fantasy to keep it sparkling. But behind the gingham curtains, being a domestic goddess isn't as easy as it looks... Home, I'm Darling is Laura Wade's new dark comedy about sex, cake and the quest to be the perfect 1950s housewife.
HOME, I'M DARLING by Laura Wade was first performed at Theatre Clwyd on 3rd July 2018, and opened at the Dorfman Theatre on the 31st July 2018, directed by Tamara Harvey. lt transferred to The Duke of York's Theatre, on 5th February 2019, as a co-production between the National Theatre, Theatre Clwyd and Fiery Angel.
Apr
11
6:30 pm18:30
The Taxidermist's Daughter adapted for the stage by Kate Mosse
Running: Wednesday 9 April - Saturday 12 April, 7:45pm
With an additional performance Saturday 12 April at 2pm.
From her own international best-selling Gothic novel. Kate Rosse has adapted the thrilling Gothic story of violence, retribution and justice.
1912. In an isolated house on the Sussex salt marshes, Connie Gifford lives with her father. Robbed of her childhood memories by a mysterious accident, she is haunted by fitful glimpses of her past – whilst her father has become a broken man, taking refuge in the bottle, since the closure of his once-legendary Museum of Avian Taxidermy.
A strange woman has been seen in the graveyard – and a few miles away, two patients have, inexplicably, disappeared from the local asylum. As a major storm hits the coastline, old wounds are about to be opened as one woman, intent on revenge, attempts to liberate another from the horrifying crimes of the past.
Mar
9
7:30 pm19:30
Fish Lip Soup Big Band Concert
Book your tickets here: www.ticketsource.co.uk/harlequintheatre
Mar
6
7:45 pm19:45
AUDITIONS: Noel Coward's Brief Encounter
Patrick Hamilton’s classic Victorian thriller was first produced in 1935. Jack Manningham is slowly, deliberately driving his wife, Bella, insane. He has almost succeeded when help arrives in the form of a former detective, Rough, who believes Manningham to be a thief and murderer. Aided by Bella, Rough proves Manningham's true identity and finally Bella achieves a few moments of sweet revenge for the suffering inflicted on her.
Yvette directs a number of productions around Cheshire, she is a regular director at the Harlequins and is the brains behind productions such as Then There Were None, The Ferryman and The Welkin to name a few.
Mar
3
7:45 pm19:45
READING: Noel Coward's Brief Encounter adapted for the stage by Emma Rice
Your heart dances. The world seems strange and new. You want to laugh and skip and fall forever… You are in love. You are in love with the wrong person. Laura, the respectable suburban wife, and Alec, the idealistic, married doctor, meet in a station buffet, fall passionately in love but are doomed never to find fulfilment.
David Lean's iconic 1945 movie, Brief Encounter, was written by Noel Coward and was based on one of his one-act plays, Still Life, written a decade earlier. Emma Rice, Artistic Director of Kneehigh Theatre Company, has adapted this timeless tale of joy and heartache for the stage, interspersing the romantic action with nine Coward ditties.
Feb
28
to 2 Mar
Sauce for the Goose written by Georges Feydeau. Translated by Peter Meyer
Directed by Malcolm Barker
Lucienne is being pursued by the married Pontagnac, who is astounded to discover that she is already married to his friend Vatelin, and also has an admirer called Redillon. Lucienne has sworn to be faithful as long as her husband remains so too. But then a keen old ‘indiscretion’ of her husband’s unexpectedly arrives, with her own husband, from Germany. Everyone ends up in the Hotel Ultimus, where the guests include an old army doctor and his deaf wife, in Paris to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Mayhem ensues.
Georges Feydeau was probably the finest French farceur the world has seen. Sauce for the Goose or Le Dindon (‘The Turkey’) in French, was written in 1896.
Feb
7
7:45 pm19:45
AUDITIONS: Dorian written by Phoebe Eclair-Powell and Owen Horsley Original author Oscar Wilde
Dorian Gray – handsome, hedonistic, narcissistic – sells his soul for eternal beauty. Basil and Henry join him for the ride until it all goes too far, and the hangovers become murderous...
Oscar Wilde's only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was a succès de scandale on its publication in 1891, accused of violating the laws of public morality. It immediately captured the minds of its readers, the spirit of the age, and the soul of a man with nothing to declare but his genius.
This thrilling stage adaptation by Phoebe Eclair-Powell and Owen Horsley follows one man's descent from glorious debauchery to epic self-destruction, intertwined with Wilde's own life story, his tragic persecution, and ultimate imprisonment in Reading Gaol. Its first full production premiered at Reading Rep Theatre in October 2021.
Kell Cowley is a new director to the Harlequin Theatre following the successes of her sell out production Gruesome Playground Injuries at Chester Little Theatre and Caryl Churchill’s Escaped Alone and A Number at Davenham Players.
'Eye-poppingly experimental... an explosion of glamorous and grotesque characters – some Victorian, some contemporary and some pure camp figments of the imagination... a dizzying adventure that always dares to dazzle... so very brave and original'
Jan
26
to 28 Jan
Treasure Island adapted by Laura Elizabeth based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson
Directed by Laura Elizabeth & Ed Green
Our multi award winning Youth Theatre will take on an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel, Treasure Island in an adaption by Laura Elizabeth.
One stormy evening at the Admiral Benbow Inn, Jim Hawkins is left a treasure map by the dying buccaneer, Billy Bones who’d been presented with the dreaded black spot. Hawkin’s seeks guidance from acquaintances Squire Trelawny and Dr Livesy who gather a crew upon the Hispaniolda in seach of the island. Among the crew, is the one-legged Long John Silver who takes young Hawkins under his wing on the voyage - but Silver has a shocking secret in store when they reach their destination meaning Hawkins faces danger and adventure greater than he could ever imagine.
Dec
6
to 9 Dec
Heaven-sent by Sébastien Thiéry, translated by Charlie Gobbett
Directed by Charlie Gobbett
A ferocious comedy about money, greed and psycopathic neighbours.
Bryan, a moderately successful anaesthetist, comes back from work one day to find a fifty-pound note on the table. Nothing particularly odd about that… But the next morning, his wife Lesley discovers a small pile of money on the lounge floor, and soon bundles – then floods – of cash start falling out of cupboards and piling up in the bedroom. Where is all this money coming from? Does someone up there like them or is someone persecuting them for some past misdeed? As their previously untroubled and unremarkable domestic life starts to fall apart under the strain, their suspicions fall on their Polish cleaner Kasia, but then a paranoid neighbour with a penchant for violence turns up with suspicions of his own, and things get really serious…
Charlie is a professional theatre translator who has appeared on the amateur stage at the Harlequin Theatre and elsewhere many times over the years. He also directed another play he translated at Nantwich Players in July 2022 and is directing the Harlequin production The Conductor in May this year.
Set in the present day, this play is very accessible on one level, with lots of straightforward and physical comedy content and action. It’s about an ordinary couple in an absurd and funny situation which spirals into violence and (comic?) murder. On another level, it has interesting things to say about greed and our relationship with money. Does having left-wing sensibilities mean that you are less tempted by the draw of filthy lucre, or does the prospect of being rich beyond our wildest dreams turn us into monsters – or, worse still, stark raving mad?
Nov
29
7:45 pm19:45
AUDITIONS: Home, I'm Darling written by Laura Wade
Sex, cake and the quest to be the perfect 1950s housewife: but in the 21st Century.
A beady, at times funny look at nostalgia, choice and contemporary relationship, love and romance.
Judy and Johnny lead a thoroughly immersed colourful 1950’s lifestyle at home: clothes, décor, music, appliances. Of choice, she stays at home while Johnny works as an estate agent: she always ensures his egg top is removed at breakfast and his cocktail and slippers are ready for his return from the office. He hopes for a promotion. But he realises they have financial problems; the house might be repossessed. Three years earlier Judy had taken redundancy from a job in finance, but the money is running out. He is underperforming at work and doesn’t earn as much commission. He says he isn’t happy. They need to change. But he does get a promotion that will involve a long commute.
HOME, I'M DARLING by Laura Wade was first performed at Theatre Clwyd on 3rd July 2018, and opened at the Dorfman Theatre on the 31st July 2018, directed by Tamara Harvey. lt transferred to The Duke of York's Theatre, on 5th February 2019, as a co-production between the National Theatre, Theatre Clwyd and Fiery Angel.
Nov
25
7:30 pm19:30